16 Year-Old Develops Cleaner, More Efficient Method of Creating Biofuel

by , 06/19/13   filed under: news, transportation

evie sobczek, biodiesel, intel icef, algae, biofuel, high school

If ever you feel slightly pessimistic about the future, remember that there are brilliant young people out there who are willing to take charge and develop solutions to the world’s great challenges. 16 year-old Evie Sobczak from St. Petersburg, Florida has engineered a new method of turning algae into biofuel. She determined a novel and more efficient way to grow the organisms, extract oil, and use the product as biodiesel. Her method uses no chemicals, and creates 20 percent more oil than current technologies. Her efforts won her first place at Intel’s International Science and Engineering Fair.

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Create Your Own Plush Toys & Finger Puppets with Sewing Kits from Cupcakes for Clara

by , 06/19/13   filed under: diy kids crafts, kid friendly

Cupcakes for Clara, Sewing, Sewing Kit, DIY Kit, Children's Kit, Sewing Practice

If you’ve always wanted to create cute soft toys but you don’t have enough experience to draft your own patterns, fear not! There are adorable little kits available from Cupcakes for Clara that allow you to make endearing felt friends with ease. There are several different kit options to choose from, with choices ranging from plush toys and finger puppets, to key chain friends. Each set includes everything you need to fashion the critter — including wool felt, cotton sewing thread, embroidery floss, stuffing, needle, and of course, the pattern and instructions. The only thing you’ll need on hand is a pair of scissors. The finger puppet sets are available in bird and kitten varieties, while the key ring kits come in the options of a snail or a cupcake. For the soft, round, chubby toys, you can choose from a lion, kitten, piglet, rabbit, sparrow, bluebird, chick or robin.




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Venezuela Proposes Baby Bottle Ban to Promote Breastfeeding

by , 06/19/13   filed under: baby feeding, breastfeeding, news

Breast feeding, baby formula, breast feeding laws, Venezuela law of promotion and protection of breastfeeding, odalis monzon, breast feeding ban, promotion of breast feeding, breast milk, baby bottles
Image courtesy of Shutterstock

The Venezuelan government might soon be banning baby bottles in an effort to encourage breastfeeding and to keep infants off of formula. Shocking though it may seem, the proposed legislation would prohibit the use of all types of baby bottles as a way to improve childrens’ health and encourage the close bond between mom and baby. “We want to increase the love (between mother and child) because this has been lost as a result of these transnational companies selling formula,” legislator Odalis Monzon of the Venezuelan Socialist Party said on state television on Thursday as reported by Reuters. Monzon also mentioned that the Law for the Promotion and Support for Breastfeeding, passed in 2007, did not establish any sanctions for using formula.

What do you think of Venezuela's baby bottle ban?

  • 4 Votes It's a great idea - mothers need help battling big-pharma formula marketing
  • 14 Votes This goes too far, the government shouldn't interfere in parenting choices
  • 0 Votes I'm not sure

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HOW TO: Make Organic Sculpting Clay in 4 Simple Steps Using 4 Ingredients!

by , 06/18/13   filed under: craft, diy kids crafts, eco play, green kids, how-to, recipe, recipes
 
 
Most kids love any type of art activity -- especially one as tactile and open ended as working with sculpting clay. Not only is it fun to play with, this is an art medium that your children will beg to help you make. They can use the organic sculpting clay the same way they use play dough, or they can create masterpieces that may be baked in the oven and then painted and kept as a keepsake or given as a gift. Read on for a simple recipe for organic sculpting clay that will entertain and engage your kids.
 

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HOW TO: Make Crunchy Nori Crackers Kids will Love

by , 06/18/13   filed under: cooking, food, recipe, vegan cooking
 
 
Even if you're not a big fan of the oceany taste of nori, or of sea vegetables in general, you still have to try these delicious crunchy crackers. The flavor of the nori will mellow nicely in the oven, which combined with the sesame oil and cute seeds makes this easy recipe a fun one for kids to make alongside you. Sprinkle some sea salt, wasabi powder or brush on some brown rice syrup to make them sweet, these versatile nori nibbles are ideal for when you crave a crunchy healthy snack.

Crispy and very tasty, these nibbles will melt in your mouth and are a great way to include healthy algaes into your diet. Sea vegetables are an excellent source of iodine, iron, calcium and vitamin K, as well as a very good source of the B-vitamin folate and magnesium, so it’s worth to give them a go! Eat them warm, take them to the office or munch them away through the day, they are fun, quick and simple to make, and you will only need three ingredients: nori sheets, sesame oil and sesame seeds.
 

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Giant Spider is the Ultimate Climbing Structure for Courageous Kids

by , 06/18/13   filed under: architecture, eco play, green design, green kids

 
 
Arachnophobes, avert your eyes! That terrifying scene starring Shelob the giant spider from The Lord of the Rings 3 has seemingly sprung to life in the form of a playground near the Danish city Hillerod. Kids will get a kick out of climbing up this creepy crawly jungle gym… that’s if they’re not too spooked to play. This 15.7 foot Giant Spider structure—a collaborative development by Denmark design team MONSTRUM and “Kongevænget” housing—gives way for children to actively weave a web of play and infinite activity along the steel bars and ropes for an exciting climbing opportunity. Little ones as young as five and even teens as old as fourteen enjoy climbing the araneae like a tree house. Featuring eight super-sized legs and LED lights that sit in the spider’s interior to emit a warm nighttime glow, there’s no wonder the Giant Spider and the accompanying mushrooms she is scurrying about across the forest floor are a fan favorite.
 


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HOW TO: Make Organic Homemade Lemon Ice Cream Sandwiches

by , 06/17/13   filed under: baking, cooking, green family, green kids, how-to, recipes
 
 
Frozen ice cream cookie sandwiches in the summertime can't be beat. There's just something magical about grabbing an ice cream sandwich and heading out to the backyard to gobble it up. However, most store-bought options are anything but magical, packed with artificial colors, flavors, and other ingredients that we can't even pronounce -- as you can see, store-bought sweet processed treats leave a lot to be desired. Not to mention most of the packaging isn't even recyclable. Instead, you can make your own organic homemade ice cream sandwiches using whole ingredients that will have your child sweet treat dreaming all summer long, read on to learn how.
 

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England’s ‘Play Streets’ Initiative Shuts Down Streets so Kids are Free to Play in their Neighborhood

by , 06/17/13   filed under: eco play, green family, green kids

play streets, eco activities, green community, healthy community, eco kids, exercise, green activities, green kids, health and wellness
Image courtesy of Shutterstock

An outstanding new initiative called Play Streets has just launched in Reading, a large town in Berkshire, England. Though an ocean away, this locale’s bright idea is something many communities worldwide should try to imitate and implement. The concept behind Play Streets is to close down a street for a set time in order to allow children to play safely on their own street with friends who live nearby (Yep, just like how we used to play in our neighborhoods as kids). For adults, the program offers the added opportunity to get to know their neighbors. A Play Street can be created for up to three hours, on any day of the week, and up to once every fortnight — giving kids some free time without parents having to worry that they’re running around with cars. Inhabitants of residential neighborhoods can fill out an application requesting to participate. Due to the nature of the program, applicants must collect supporting signatures from about two-thirds of all residents who live on the street. The program will be running as a trial for one year, but hopefully Play Streets will be a success and will continue indefinitely. This program is a great way to help increase childhood activity while allowing kids to simply be kids. Wouldn’t you love to see a program like this in your community?

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5 Green Summer Camps & How to Find an Eco-Minded Summer Camp Near You

5 Green Summer Camps & How to Find an Eco-Minded Summer Camp Near You

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6 of the World’s Coolest Green Playgrounds

6 of the World’s Coolest Green Playgrounds

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CoolKidsNYC’s Edgy Organic Collection Gives Trendy Kids Street Credit

CoolKidsNYC’s Edgy Organic Collection Gives Trendy Kids Street Credit

Well-dressed kids aren’t born, they’re styled. And funky organic clothing retailer CoolKidsNYC makes it effortless to outfit kiddos in chic apparel. Your little fashionista can express herself in an

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Eco-Friendly Musical Instruments That Will Delight Tots

Eco-Friendly Musical Instruments That Will Delight Tots

Did you know that early music training benefits your baby’s brain? With that in mind, we’ve rounded up 5 green musical toys for your budding musician! The eco-friendly xylophone pictured above

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Babywearing Daddy Doll Promotes Childcare as a Family Affair

Babywearing Daddy Doll Promotes Childcare as a Family Affair

Gone are the days when mom, and mom alone took care of the baby. Nowadays, REAL men know that dads can help promote breastfeeding, change diapers like a pro, co-sleep like a champ and would never

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HOW TO: Make Vegan, Gluten-Free Frozen Chocolate Banana Bites

HOW TO: Make Vegan, Gluten-Free Frozen Chocolate Banana Bites

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The HugglePod HangOut is a Perfect Haven for Summer Days

The HugglePod HangOut is a Perfect Haven for Summer Days

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Single-Load Liquid Laundry Packets are a Serious Health Hazard for Kids

Single-Load Liquid Laundry Packets are a Serious Health Hazard for Kids

Image courtesy CPSC The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) received about 500 incident reports in 2012 involving injury due to colorful single load liquid laundry packets. In response, CPSC is

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Huggies Designs Pregnancy Belt that Lets Dads “Feel” Baby’s Kick When Mom Does

Huggies Designs Pregnancy Belt that Lets Dads “Feel” Baby’s Kick When Mom Does

Dads-to-be don’t have the benefit of experiencing the joys of pregnancy in a physical sense (or the morning sickness for that matter), but a new pregnancy belt designed by Huggies is giving new dads a

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World’s First Green Library for Kids “My Tree House” Opens its Doors!

World’s First Green Library for Kids “My Tree House” Opens its Doors!

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LOTS MORE GREAT GREEN DESIGN STORIES HERE... KEEP READING!